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Jazz Review: Pablo Embon-The World Within

Release Date: March 18, 2016Label: IndependentWebsitePablo Embon is a remarkably talented artist. He has released his 15th album titled The World Within. The album was performed, recorded, mixed and produced by Embon between June 2015 and February 2016 in Israel. Amongst the 13 tracks there is a multitude of jazz stylings.

As a listener this is sheer delight to hear such talent and diversity on display. As an individual with the role of reviewing said music it is quite an undertaking. I mean that as the sincerest form of flattery by the way.

The influences Pablo has are many and 99% of them are artists I love so it is no wonder I found it easy to fall into this music like it was an old friend. Jazz is very complex music, a true art form that deserves respect and the full attention of a listener. Lord knows if you have a lapse in your listening you are bound to miss something prolific or even a subtle nuance that changes the entire direction of a song.

It is hard to choose a place to start with this magnificent recording but as usual I like to focus on 3 or 4 tracks that stood out for my ears and musical palette. First let me say how much I have always loved jazz and although I hear elements of it in much of the music I have the opportunity to review, I rarely have the chance to take in so many different forms of the genre in one sitting as I have with The World Within.

“Peeling Off” caught my attention first with the title itself. This was like peeling off the layers of something to find something underneath, then doing it again and again. For instance the peeling of the musical onion can be a wonderful thing for a musician to experience and even more so for the music fan to hear it. This track was all about the grandeur and elegance of the piano. Embon certainly pays due respect to the ivory keys with the wonderfully rhythmic and pleasant journey.

“The Real Thing” for me was the expression of jazz from beginning to end. It reminded me so much how I came to love this music in the first place. The all-important percussion, the gentle tapping of the symbols, the guitar accentuating the tinkling of the piano as the bass and drums fall into sync. This is traditional jazz that changes over to a more modern sound nearly half way through. It was like listening to Dave Brubeck morphing into Chick Corea (worthy of note are the electric keyboards). I loved the back and forth transitions, and how in one track a listener gets to experience how jazz music has progressed into what it is today. Not only is it “The Real Thing,” it is a tribute to the art.

“What I've Heard” is one of the more interesting tracks and the one that steps away from the others. One cannot help but notice how different it sounds even though the entire album offered a good helping of different jazz styles throughout. This track while having a foundation of jazz to work with, takes everything one step further with the steady and proud pounding of military drums that echo the past and usher in the future once the keyboards come rolling in. The orchestral maneuvers bring a cinematic theme to your mind’s eye easily, like the very beginning or end of a favorite movie soundtrack. It made me think of John Wayne riding a horse across a vast expanse in the Wild West. All the changing emotions and atmospheres are packaged ever so tidily in this track.

You are bound to find The World Within the music after one listen. I listened three times and kept finding more. Welcome to the incredibly entertaining world of Mr. Pablo Embon!

5/5 StarsKey Tracks: Peeling Off, The Real Thing, What I’ve Heard

Tracks:01. The World Within02. Last Falling Angel03. Amor Latino04. Coming Back05. More For Less06. The Ride Home07. Leave the Lights on08. The Moon For You09. The Real Thing10. Distinctive11. Fly Away12. What I've Heard13. Peeling Off

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